Tuesday, March 1, 2016

GRNC-PVF Releases Recommendations For NC's March Primary

Grass Roots North Carolina-Political Victory Fund has released their candidate evaluations and recommendations in advance of North Carolina's March 15th primary. Early voting in North Carolina opens on March 3rd.

As I live in an open Senate district, I found the recommendations useful. For example, the establishment candidate in the 48th District, Chuck Edwards, lists that he is a Life Member of the NRA. That said, he never bothered to return GRNC-PVF's survey. Being dismissive of the strongest, most active gun rights group in the state is not the way to earn my vote. I plan to vote accordingly.

Here are their recommendations along with links:

2016 GRNC CANDIDATE
RECOMMENDATIONS

(Listings includeonlydistricts
with primary races)

Candidate recommendations versus evaluations: Below are recommendations
for effective voting strategies by the Grass Roots North Carolina Political Victory Fund. Candidate recommendations,
which are more limited than blanket “endorsements,” are not made in all
races, only in races where a clear pro-gun candidate stands out or
where strategic voting is necessary to keep anti-gun candidates out of
office.

Recommendations
differ from GRNC
candidate evaluations. While the evaluations are intended to provide an
objective measure of where candidates stand on Second Amendment issues,
GRNC–PVF recommendations are analytical and therefore subject to
interpretation. For a full explanation of GRNC’s objective star
evaluations, go to:http://www.grnc.org/remember-in-november/grnc-candidate-evaluations-2016

Important note: Candidates who lack
voting records or other history on Second Amendment issues and who fail
to
return GRNC’s candidate survey automatically receive a zero star
evaluation (0) on the assumption that they are hiding their position
from gun
voters. Every election year, we receive complaints about ostensibly
pro-gun candidates who receive zero star evaluations due to failure to
return the
survey. Each candidate is mailed a survey to the address he or she
registered with the State Board of Elections. If they fail to
return the survey, we cannot help candidates who will not help themselves.

Voting instructions: Primary election One Stop Early Voting begins on March 3 and ends on March 12. Absentee ballots
must be received by 5:00 PM on March 15. Primary voting day is March 15 between 6:30 AM and 7:30 PM. Click
here to find your polling place on election day, or click
here to find your One Stop Early Voting place.

Important changes to voting laws: Due to ongoing litigation, same-day registration will still be permitted during One
Stop Early Voting. Litigation involving redistricting applies only to U.S. House races.
All other primaries will take
place on March 15. Although North Carolina has rescheduled Congressional
primaries for June 7, congressional races will remain on the ballot and
GRNC
recommends you still cast a ballot for U.S. House on March 15.

As in previous
years, unaffiliated voters may vote in either Republican or Democrat primaries. Unlike previous
years, straight party voting will not be permitted, so GRNC strongly suggests you investigate individual candidates. For
the first time, identification is required to vote, so click
here to find identification requirements.

GRNC CANDIDATE RECOMMENDATIONS

(Note:
the NC State Board of Elections has made numerous changes to
presentation of candidate data which now, unfortunately, contain
numerous errors. We have tried to catch those errors but apologize if
some of them have been allowed to propagate into GRNC
evaluations.)

US President (R): Despite
his assertions that he supports the
Second Amendment, DONALD TRUMP (GRNC 1-star, *) has supported semi-auto
bans, waiting periods and, most recently, denying gun purchases to
people on
secret government lists convicted of nothing. MARCO RUBIO (****) has an
excellent gun rights voting record, but has failed to take a leadership
role
on the issue. Only TED CRUZ (****) has a 100% pro-gun voting record, has
sponsored pro-gun legislation, and answered GRNC’s candidate survey
with a perfect 100% score. GRNC–PVF recommends Ted Cruz for President.

US Senate (R): Undoubtedly, the most pro-gun candidate in the Republican primary election is Greg Brannon, who
again returned GRNC’s candidate survey with a perfect 100%, earning a four star evaluation (****). For purposes of the primary
election, GRNC–PVF recommends Brannon. That said, however, he is unlikely to win the primary election. Incumbent Richard
Burr has dropped only one gun vote and holds a three star evaluation (***). GRNC–PVF recommends supporting Burr in November.

US House

(Note:
The recommendations below are based on original districts. Litigation
over congressional districts will likely change this
candidate list for the June 7 Congressional primaries. Congressional
recommendations will change as needed.)

District 2 (R): Of
the three challengers to Renée Ellmers, only Tim
D’Annunzio returned GRNC’s candidate survey. Although he scored 100%,
earning a GRNC four-star evaluation (****), D’Annunzio has
proven himself unsuitable in previous elections. Meanwhile, whatever her
other conservative credentials, Ellmers has maintained a 100% pro-gun
voting
record, also earning GRNC’s highest four-star evaluation (****). GRNC–PVF recommends Ellmers for
Congress.

District 4 (R): In the Republican primary
for the seat anti-gun Democrat David Price has occupied for two decades, GRNC–PVF recommends Sue Gooch, who
returned
GRNC’s candidate survey with a score of 81%, earning three stars (***).
Opponent Teiji Kimball failed to return the survey, earning a zero star
evaluation (0).

District 9 (R): Realizing that incumbent Robert Pittenger has drawn fire from some conservative quarters, owing to
his 91% survey score and 100% voting record, earning GRNC’s four-star evaluation (****), GRNC–PVF continues to recommend
Robert Pittenger.

STATEWIDE
RACES:

North Carolina Governor (R): Although
challenger
Robert Brawley garnered a 100% pro-gun voting record while in the NC
House, earning GRNC’s four-star evaluation, he lacks the
resources to beat anti-gun Democrat Roy Cooper (GRNC 0-star) in the
November general election. Meanwhile, despite flaws, incumbent Pat
McCrory has
signed three pro-gun omnibus bills into law. GRNC–PVF recommends McCrory.

NC Governor (D): Both candidates in this race are
ranked 0–star by GRNC. Democrat gun voters should vote to keep
current Attorney General Roy Cooper out of office. During his tenure in
the NC Senate, Cooper demonstrated a long-standing antipathy to gun
rights,
including only a 58% pro-gun voting record. Accordingly, GRNC–PVF recommends Ken Spaulding.

North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner (R): Incumbent
Steve Troxler (GRNC 0-star) has proven himself no
friend of gun owners. After HB 937 legalized concealed carry at
assemblies, Troxler continued to post the NC State Fair despite being
prohibited by
law. He later solicited Sen. Brent Jackson to sponsor legislation
enabling him to prohibit concealed carry. Then Troxler, apparently at
the behest of
former Food Lion CEO Tom Smith and big dollar donations, ended up in a
scheme to promote trophy deer farms at the risk of destroying indigenous
deer
populations through chronic wasting disease. By contrast, challenger
Andy Stevens is a gun rights activist and conservative who has
overturned local
gun restrictions across the state, and who vows to reverse Troxler’s
cronyism. Stevens returned GRNC’s survey with a perfect 100%, earning
a four-star evaluation (****). GRNC–PVF recommends Andy Stevens for Agriculture Commissioner.

NC Senate:

District 11 (R): For this open seat, Rick Horner returned GRNC’s survey with 97%,
earning four stars (****). Opponent Benton Sawrey failed to return the survey earning only a zero star evaluation (0). GRNC–PVF
recommends Horner.

District 44 (R): Although challenger Chris Carney turned in a 100% survey, earning four stars
(****), GRNC-PVF continues to recommend incumbent David Curtis (****) due to his 100% pro-gun voting record.

District 82 (R): Incumbent Larry Pittman
(****) is one of the most pro-gun members of the NC General Assembly.
Garnering a 96% pro-gun voting record, Pittman has sponsored numerous
pro-gun bills and his stood up against party leadership on behalf of gun
owners.
He is being targeted by RINOs who are behind “centrist” challenger
Michael Fischer (survey-NR, 0-star). GRNC-PVF strongly
recommends Larry Pittman.

District 91 (R): In this three-way
primary, incumbent Kyle Hall was appointed in late 2015, meaning he has
no
gun rights voting record. Because he failed to return the GRNC survey,
he holds a zero star (0) evaluation, as does challenger Robert Knight
(survey-NR, 0-star). GRNC-PVF recommends Ira Tilley, who returned the survey with 100%, earning four stars
(****).

District 105 (R): In the race for
this open seat, Tim Morgan (***) returned an 86% survey, but in the past
has
used his school board to agitate against the limited concealed carry
provisions on educational properties enacted in 2013, demonstrating that
he is
not a friend of gun owners. Opponents Scott Stone returned GRNC survey
with 90%, earning four stars (****). GRNC-PVF recommends Scott
Stone.

District 120 (R):For
this open seat, Kevin Corbin turned in
a 95% survey earning four stars (****), but the clear standout is Elliot
Southworth (****) who not only turned in a near-perfect 99% survey,
earning
four stars, but has also volunteered his time as a gun rights activist
and directed youth shooting sports.GRNC-PVF recommends Elliot Southworth.